Lt. Col. Robert P. Wengerter is the Commander of the 445th Mission Support Group at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. He is responsible for the training and readiness of more than 600 assigned personnel. The group consists of the 87th Aerial Port Squadron, 445th Force Support Squadron, 445th Civil Engineer Squadron, 445th Security Forces Squadron and the 445th Logistics Readiness Squadron. The 445th MSG provides support services to more than 1,700 wing personnel and provides combat support services for all U.S. military branches in times of peace, war and national emergency within the nation and abroad.
Lt. Col. Wengerter enlisted in the Air Force in 1988, serving four years as a Pavements Maintenance Specialist. In 1997, he joined the Air Force Reserve, serving five years as a Traffic Management Specialist. In 2001, he graduated from The Ohio State University and commissioned in 2002 through the Reserve Officers' Training Corps as an active duty second lieutenant. In 2006, Lt. Col. Wengerter came back to the Air Force Reserve Command as a Logistics Readiness Officer at Wright-Patterson AFB.
Lt. Col. Wengerter is a veteran of numerous operations and contingencies in support of national objectives to include Operations Desert Shield, Desert Storm, Enduring Freedom and Inherent Resolve. He deployed in support of Operation Fiery Vigil, the emergency evacuation of all non-essential military and U.S. Department of Defense civilian personnel and their dependents from Clark Air Base and U.S. Naval Base Subic Bay during the devastating June 1991 volcanic eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Republic of the Philippines.
Lt. Col. Wengerter was called to active duty and deployed to Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, in 2010 to serve as Commander of the 451st Aerial Port Flight in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. In 2014, he deployed to Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, as the Director of the Logistics and Operations Center, 466th Air Expeditionary Group, 9th Air & Space Expeditionary Task Force - Afghanistan. In 2019, he again was called to active duty and deployed to Camp Taji, Iraq, in support of Operation Inherent Resolve where he served as the Commander of the 442nd Air Expeditionary Squadron. Prior to his current position, Lt. Col. Wengerter served as the Commander of the 315th Mission Support Group at Joint Base Charleston, S.C.
EDUCATION
1999 Associate of Arts, Columbus State Community College, Ohio
2001 Bachelor of Arts, The Ohio State University, Columbus
2002 Associate of Arts, Community College of the Air Force, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2002 Air and Space Basic Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2009 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2015 Masters of Science, Columbia Southern University, Orange Beach, Ala.
2016 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2020 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
ASSIGNMENTS
1. July 1988 – September 1990, Pavements Maintenance Specialist, 4392nd Civil Engineering Squadron, Vandenberg AFB, Calif.
2. September 1990 – September 1992, Pavements Maintenance Specialist, 554th REDHORSE Squadron, Osan AB, Republic of Korea
3. October 1997 – July 2002, Traffic Management Specialist, 445th Combat LRS, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
4. July 2002 – July 2005, Officer-in-Charge, Material Management, 509th LRS, Whiteman AFB, Mo.
5. July 2005 – September 2006, Deputy Chief, Logistics and Current Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Forces Central Command, Shaw AFB, S.C.
6. October 2006 – February 2010, Officer-in-Charge, Vehicle Management Flight, 445th Logistics Readiness Squadron, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
7. February 2010 – September 2010, Aerial Port Flight Commander, 451st Air Expeditionary LRS, Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan
8. September 2010 – May 2011, Officer-in-Charge, Squadron Readiness, 445th LRS, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
9. May 2011 – April 2012, Officer-in-Charge, Air Terminal Operations Flight, 76th APS, Youngstown Air Reserve Station, Ohio
10. May 2012 – April 2014, Operations Officer, 76th APS, Youngstown Air Reserve Station, Ohio
11. April 2014 – October 2014, Director, Logistics & Operations Center; 466th Air Expeditionary Group; 9th Air & Space Expeditionary Task Force - Afghanistan
12. October 2014 – June 2016, Operations Officer, 76th APS, Youngstown Air Reserve Station, Ohio
13. July 2016 – September 2018, Commander, 910th LRS, Youngstown Air Reserve Station, Ohio
14. October 2018 – October 2019, Deputy Commander, 910th MSG, Youngstown Air Reserve Station, Ohio
15. January 2019 – July 2019, Commander, 442nd Air Expeditionary Squadron, Camp Taji, Iraq
16. November 2019 – March 2022, Deputy Commander, 315th MSG, Joint Base Charleston, S.C.
17. April 2022 – December 2023, Mission Support Group Commander, 315th MSG, Joint Base Charleston, S.C.
18. December 2023 – Present, Mission Support Group Commander, 445th MSG, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air Force Achievement Medal
Joint Meritorious Unit Award
Meritorious Unit Award with two oak leaf clusters
AF Outstanding Unit Award with three oak leaf clusters
AF Reserve Meritorious Unit Award
Air Reserve Forces Meritorious Service Medal
National Defense Service Medal with bronze service star
Afghan Campaign Medal with campaign star
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Korean Defense Service Medal
Armed Forces Reserve Medal with three “M” devices
NATO Medal
Inherent Resolve Campaign Medal
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant July 29, 2002
First Lieutenant July 29, 2004
Captain July 29, 2006
Major April 1, 2012
Lieutenant Colonel Aug. 23, 2017
(Current as of December 2023)